My "Ah Ba Then" moment

Something's going up again - according to the Energy Market Authority (EMA), electricity bills would go up about 21 per cent on 1 Oct 2008, the highest one-time increase in about seven years.

In a press conference, EMA's CEO, Mr Khoo Chin Hean said that the scope for savings is high considering that power consumption patterns show that 40 per cent of households, from one-room flats to landed properties, use more than the monthly average.

I had a "Ah Ba Then" moment.

I normally don't have the penchant for saying dialects in my blog, but the English language fails to express the "wah lao - even aunties know that" kind of feeling when you read that sentence.

From what highly-trained Maths teachers in the Singapore education had taught me, "average" is the arithmetic mean, and is calculated by adding a group of numbers and then dividing by the count of those numbers. For example, the average of 2, 3, 3, 5, 7, and 10 is 30 divided by 6, which is 5.

So, assuming all Singapore families save 50% on their electricity bills, a family in the "high user" category would still remain a "high user" as the average bill would have fallen, but there would be "scope for savings ... considering that power consumption patterns show that 40 per cent of households, from one-room flats to landed properties, use more than the monthly average", right?

Mathematically speaking, we can't reduce the percentage of families that are above the average, can we?

Any Maths teachers care to comment?

Broken again

My laptop has died on me for the second time in 6 months.

It was getting slower these few weeks and I'd been procrastinating calling the tech support cos there had been several projects that needed clearing.

I guess I've worked it too hard - which goes to show that I too had been down to e grind ;)

Well, time for a break today...

Bellwether of a sinking ship

Well, having a few AIA policies of my own, I am reading with interest about the developments of AIG and one of its subsidiary, AIA.

Latest ST news have claimed that AIG would be 'bailed out' of this situation through the US govt being given an 80% stake, which would be eventually unwound through the orderly sales of AIG's key assets and subsidiaries - AIA being one of them. I wonder if this meant that AIA would eventually be sold off? I wish MAS or AIA could clarify this matter rather than just assure us that our "money is safe" and "sufficient to meet ... obligations".

It didn't really help to see that their CEO, Mark O'Dell leave at this most unopportune time. However one who understands executive functions in this day and age would know that the CEO (together with the CFO) is the one who would have the most comprehensive picture of the financial situation of his company. And hearing that O'Dell "had been planning for some time" his move from AIA to a rival firm was a bit disconcerting to say. Did he know something that others didn't?

The immediate impact would be the one that's felt by the AIA and AIG agents most - their source (and with MAS' regulations towards life insurance, it'd likely their only source) of income cut off at its source (who's going to buy AIA insurance now?). From what I last remembered, AIA has more than 5000 agents in Singapore - assuming 20% are MDRT agents, earning approx $60k worth of commissions per annum, it would result in a net drop of $6M income earnings in Singapore's books. I can see why the govt should be concerned.

I wonder how many AIA policyholders have whole life policies (that are non investment-linked) which derive their bonuses from profits 'generated' through organisational efficiencies and lower claims - it's likely we might not see any non-guaranteed bonuses in the foreseeable future. It'd be a double whammy for those who'd terminated their ILPs because of what was published in ST a couple of years back - they would be gnashing their teeth as well if they realised that ILPs would eventually stand to gain as the economy recovers as the underlying stocks bought increase in value.

I'll definitely be watching the developments unfold - but I doubt I'd be cancelling my policies anytime - But who knows, should the other insurance companies face the same issue (Prudential, Manulife, Aviva, Great Eastern, NTUC etc), you just might catch me in a queue ;)

For those who're interested in knowing more about the Singapore's insurance industry, do ask your agent about M5 and M9 modules - these are required certifications needed to become an insurance agent.

Love that Transcends Boundaries

I read with interest that George Takei, famous for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the original Star Wars series has gotten married at the ripe old age of 71.

It was reported that the gentle-spoken Mr George Takei had been with his 54-year-old partner for 21 years before the question was popped.

It had all the hallmarks of a romantic relationship culminating with marriage - with the exception that his partner was a Brad Altman (sorry, no brides at this stellar wedding here).

There's gonna be lots of articles writing on this so I'll leave you to google around.

Well, in the spirit of Star Trek, he's definitely going to where no man has gone boldly before... (and I also don't want to know)

Hooked on Blood

If you've read my Facebook wall lately, you'll be able to see that I've been busy lately with one particular application - Elven Blood.

For those who had been brought up with printed fantasy classics such as "Choose your own adventure" or "Lone Wolf" type of adventure games, you'd understand how easily you can get engrossed on this app like I have.

This is how the game generally goes: You start off in an idyllic village called Windy Hill and start collecting stuff, fighting monsters through quests along the way until you gain enough experience and stuff to proceed to other locations (I'm now at Clairemonferan Arctic stocking up on Silver Edges). You can also engage in "wars" with other fellow "Elves", adding a personal vendetta element to the mix as well.

However, there are limits to where you can go and how fast you can go, due to the number of available moves (stamina) and stuff that you need (requirements) at any point in time. One of the most challenging requirements (in my opinion) would be the party size in order to qualify to reach some of the harder locations (my next requirement would be a party of 13 to reach the Elder Tree Crater) once you've mastered the basics. This requires you to get friends to come on board your party - fortunately, there's several forums that you can tap on to get these "friends" quickly.

I thought it was quite a cool game and was sucked in rather quickly. It's been quite a challenge to resist the "one more 'Do Quest' click" or "another 240 seconds to go before recouping 2 stamina" addiction.

If you like fantasy gaming, you'd be Hooked on Blood.

Since you're doing so, why not join my party first?

Cow or Cart

It's getting damn crowded in the MRT.

Ever since the double whammy of rising fuel prices and erection of multiple ERP gantries, the trains are getting harder to get on, much less expect to reach the desired destination in time. Personal space is reduced with reprieve hardly in sight.

I'm sure our Transport Minister is glad to know as he cruises to office in his preferred mode of transport (whatever that may be) that the measures implemented have been resoundingly successful.

Without a doubt, one who aspires the Singapore Dream of owning his/her own car, instead of sharing one with a number of strangers through a strange scheme, will gladly leave his treasured possession at home and go to work via public transport. If you look at the statistics and rationale, why not? Why let your car get stuck in the gridlock or risk getting into an accident when it is being driven around on days that you need to work (I initially thought weekdays, but I realise there's more people working every single day of the week)? Leaving your treasured car at home, wiping and washing the dust off during your free weekends should be the best way to appreciate the true value of the Singapore Car.

Just as I wrote as the title of this entry, do you want to take the cow (you can ride in it alone or with a friend) or you can take the cart (sure, you can enjoy the ride with more people, but it might be a bit more squeezed, not to say uncomfortable). Whatever your choice, it's going to be a slow ride to your chosen destination.

As for me, I just want to be left in peace as I take the train to drool as I sleep or write meaningless stuff such as this blog entry. Regardless of the fact that my dear wife and son run the gauntlet every weekday for his classes, which will continue for the next few years until he can appreciate the value and benefits that public transport brings as he comes of age for the Singapore Education.

That, of course is another story...

Not a game anymore

This week I hold the fate of a person's life in my hands.

I doubt it's a matter of life and death, but it'll be close to that - to choose one of the two selected interviewees to be my new support officer. Both have their strengths and having only budget for one, a choice has to be made.

My director would be sitting in for the second and last interview, so I guess I can shift the responsibility to him to decide on who to select to a certain extent. However I'm pretty sure that I would bear the consequence since the person eventually reports directly to me.

In the past, I used to play games such as Romance of Three Kingdoms in which I was able to ascertain the characteristics of recruits to determine their potential and capabilities in an easy to understand format (zero to a hundred); No such luck in real life, though.

The only things that could be considered were the person's educational qualifications, grades, interview performance, just to name a few. I have no doubt that many people would have conducted such interviews and are probably thinking why I've lost sleep over this.

Well, I guess I'm putting myself into their shoes - if I were them, I doubt I'd appreciate someone doing my interview with little or no diligence and then choosing at his/her own fancy. Stay tuned for the next post when the decision gets made.

I've also got an Exec post to be filled, so that'll be another story to tell...